Bending metal ????

[Mr.B]

Hey guys. I have a question. Im looking to bend some metal, but i was wondering if theres any method of device that would allow me to bend it? The type of bends im looking for are a "rainbow" type bend, not the type of bend a bending brake makes ( i.e |_ ) Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanx

Bryan

 

[Dr3wStx]

It all depends on what kind metal working tools you have at hand. I'm assuming you don't have any because you're asking this question.... You're not going to get the look you want unless you have the correct tools. But I guess u could try bending it over you're leg and taping it with a hammer...

 

[draksia]

Build a form generally out of wood in the shape you want. The take the sheet metal piece and lightly tap with a hammer. Use a block of wood between the metal and the hammer to reduce the chance of denting the metal. Go slow and work your way across the form and forward and across and forward and across. I hope you get te picture.

 

[Mr.B]

oic allright
cool, no tools i can pick up for likke a hundred buks to do this for me?

Thanx again

 

[HaMMerHeD]

You could get a slip roll. They are for putting bends in sheet metal.

Here is such a thing:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=36698

 

[marked]

english wheel

 

[Tiny]

What kind of metal?

You could use the slip roll mentioned above, or you could us an English Wheel-benchtop model.

Depends on what kind of metal and what thikness you are planning on using.

And if you are going to be doing the metal working for a number of times, take a look around here. I have used them many times, and have never had a problem.

 

[Mr.B]

yah juust sheet metal stuff like that, prlly around 1/8" thickness.

 

[draksia]

yah juust sheet metal stuff like that, prlly around 1/8" thickness.

An 1/8 is damn thick for sheet metal. If you are building case stuff I would use .035 or .049 which is a little heavy. 1/8 is like structral steel in comparsion.

 

[Mr.B]

o crap sorry ya, wasnt looking at the thread thought i was in a plexi thread.

 

[rayra]

three large wood dowels, or even cheap kitchen rolling pins. A large flat space or a concrete slab. two dowels on work surface, spread and parallel to each other. Metal to be worked laying on top of them. third dowel on top, parallel to the other two, in between the other two. Start rolling it back and forth, applying downward pressure as if you were rolling out pie / pizza dough.
Hammering over a form, but it will take forever and a LOT of skill to make it smooth afterwards.

Another alternate is using two dowels to apply even pressure on the outer edges as you bend a sheet over a wood form.

 

[rayra]

A 3rd alternative - buy some galvanized home heating ductwork to begin with - you'll already have a curved tube to start with - then just cut out the shape you need using shears.

 

[HaMMerHeD]

A 3rd alternative - buy some galvanized home heating ductwork to begin with - you'll already have a curved tube to start with - then just cut out the shape you need using shears.

Not a bad idea, except it would take a lot of surface treatment on the galvanized steel to make it look decent. Plus, you may have to take off so much material in sanding to make it look good, that the metal could be too thin.

 

[rayra]

Not a bad idea, except it would take a lot of surface treatment on the galvanized steel to make it look decent. Plus, you may have to take off so much material in sanding to make it look good, that the metal could be too thin.

Galvanizing is a zinc surface coating. A little wet-sanding will remove it. And you won't come anywhere near removing too much metal (that's nuts, what made you think that?)
If you are painting, it doesn't take much to prep.

 

[HaMMerHeD]

Well maybe because I had a piece of galvanized steel that I was resurfacing for an art project in high school, and I had so sand off so much material that it was little more than a steel soup can afterwards....very thin......i had to scrap it and go buy some 20ga stainless stock and redo the whole thing...Perhaps it was crappy steel, im not sure, but that was what happened.